Creeeaaak!
The massive gates of the Ilarisen Wall groaned open, the sound rolling outward for hundreds of meters like the approach of a storm.
Before Nerion and Mia lay towering buildings, modest homes, and sleek black carriages pulled by finely groomed horses. The streets were crowded, most of the passersby being elves. In the Nature Empire, elves outnumbered other races by roughly two to one, as the empire had long been regarded as their ancestral homeland. It was also famed for its wealth, particularly the rich black iron deposits mined near the city's borders.
Still carrying Nerion in her arms bridal style, Mia strode confidently through the gates and stopped a passing carriage.
"Take us to the Medical Guild of the Nature Empire on Rashton Street, please," she told the driver.
The driver gave her a brief look. "One silver."
"Ten bronze. No more," Mia said sharply as she stepped into the carriage without giving him a chance to protest.
Before the driver could object, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he replied in a flat, lifeless tone, "Yes, ma'am."
Nerion glanced at her curiously. "Was that too much for the distance?"
"Yes. Rashton Street isn't far, but it's the most famous street in the Nature Empire. It's in the heart of the capital and home to the finest services. That's why he tried to charge that much."
"Wait, what? How is the capital so close to the first defensive line? And you cut the price from a whole silver to ten bronze—one-tenth of what he asked?" Nerion blurted out, baffled by her stinginess despite her obvious influence and wealth.
"The capital is close for strategic reasons. If the wall ever needs reinforcements, they can arrive quickly. But it's not literally next to the wall—it's about a hundred kilometers away. Most drivers would charge around fifty bronze for a trip like this," Mia explained calmly.
Her words struck Nerion like a thunderclap.
"What the hell? Why are we traveling that far? Isn't there any damn doctor nearby?" he snapped, unable to suppress his frustration any longer.
He had done everything he could to escape this cursed condition, yet the people who had rescued him kept delaying things with their choices.
Mia blinked, startled by his sudden outburst. She didn't understand why he was so upset.
"I-I'm sorry, Nerion. I just wanted to take you to the best place for a proper diagnosis. The guild is renowned. I didn't mean to upset you... I just thought you needed rest," she said softly.
Seeing the look on her face, Nerion immediately realized his mistake. She had no idea about the system.
"I'm sorry for yelling, Mia. I just feel like we're wasting time on things that don't matter. I did tell you I'm fine. Still, I really appreciate your concern. Thank you," he said with a sincere smile.
For a moment, he almost forgot that she could kill him with a thought.
Mia was caught off guard by the apology. From everything she had observed about Nerion, she knew his pride was second to none. That made this apology all the more meaningful, and the realization filled her with quiet joy.
"It's alright, dear. I'm not upset. Would you like to rest your head on my lap until we arrive?" she asked, a trace of anxious hope flickering in her eyes, as though she feared he might refuse.
Noticing her nervousness, Nerion nodded without hesitation.
"Sure, Mia. Thanks for the wonderful pillow."
As she gently guided his head onto her lap, her smile blossomed with almost childlike joy. She began mumbling incoherent little things under her breath while softly stroking his hair.
Nerion looked into her eyes for a brief moment, gave her a faint smile, then closed his own.
He wasn't worried about her doing anything to him. If she wanted him dead, he wouldn't even feel it.
As soon as his eyes shut, he called inwardly.
'Dear system.'
[What are your orders, Heir?]
'Can you begin the integration process now?'
[Yes, Heir. Your current condition allows for a successful integration with the Origin Bloodline System. Once the process is complete, your bones will begin producing Origin Blood, and you will recover fully in approximately two days, provided you receive sufficient rest and nourishment. Your body will require a significant amount of nutrients.]
'Can you start now? How long will it take?'
[Approximately three hours. During that time, you will enter a coma-like state, though your body will continue functioning normally.]
'That should be fine. I doubt this carriage will reach Rashton Street in under three hours.'
'Alright. Begin the integration.'
But to his surprise—
[Apologies, Heir. It is not that simple. You must have direct physical contact with the Minotaur's Will Core. The system needs to extract the will-energy within it. Do not worry—the system will handle everything. You only need to touch it.]
'Damn it! Why can't this system be overpowered like the ones in those protagonist stories? They crush bottlenecks like melons and ascend to the next cultivation world in a blink.'
[You and I both know, Heir, that you would rather die than walk such a shallow path.]
Nerion fell silent.
'Fine... I just need physical contact with the Will Core. That's manageable, right?'
[Correct, Heir.]
'Alright, then let's do it.'
He opened his eyes and found Mia still gazing at him with unconcealed affection.
"Umm, Mia... could I see that Will Core you gave me again?" he asked gently.
"Of course, darling!" she replied, delighted by his interest. She pulled out the strange, ever-shifting cube. From time to time, the silhouette of a Minotaur's head flickered within it—older, grander, and far more majestic.
"Wow... what exactly does it do?" he asked.
"Well, sweetheart, the best way to use it is to sell it. It could fetch at least one hundred gold coins—that's equal to ten thousand silver, or one million bronze."
(1 gold coin = 100 silver coins; 1 silver coin = 100 bronze coins.)
"Or, if another Minotaur—one seeking to advance further along the Sequence—wanted to use it, they could attempt to do so instead of enduring all the consequences of tempering their Will on their own. However, the success rate isn't high. It depends on the strength of both the original owner's Will and the Will of the person using it. The weaker the original owner was compared to the user, the greater the chance of success."
"What?! One hundred gold? That's insane! Thank you, Mia," Nerion said, choosing to sound thrilled.
In truth, it pained him a little to consume something so valuable.
Was he stingy? No, you fools—he was broke. If Mia abandoned him now, he probably wouldn't survive even five hours. Still, once the system awakened and his body recovered, earning money would no longer be a problem.
"Mia, could you place it in my hand? I'd like to feel it for myself."
"Of course, love."
She gently took his pale right hand, opened his palm, and placed the Will Core into it.
The instant the cube touched his skin, a shiver ran up his spine. A chilling, powerful energy surged into his arm.
'Good God... this is only the residual force? Imagine how strong he was while alive... And Mia's strength... or the strength of those even beyond her.'
"Mia, it feels warm to me. Could you... place it under my shirt? I want to feel it more directly," he lied smoothly.
Mia blinked in surprise. Warm? Usually, the core felt cold.
Still, she didn't mind. She would have done anything to make him happy.
"Alright. Here you go," she said as she gently lifted his linen shirt and placed the cube against his bare chest, just as he asked.
Her breath caught.
His skin was softer than she remembered. She hadn't realized just how smooth it was.
Her fingers brushed his chest by accident, and her cheeks immediately flushed.
Mia already saw Nerion as her future husband.
Nerion noticed how flustered she was, but chose to ignore it.
Focus.
He closed his eyes again.
'System, can you begin now?'
[Yes, Heir. We may begin at any moment.]
'Then do it.'
[Command received.]
[The Heir has chosen to consume the Will Core and sacrifice nine months of lifespan in order to activate the system.]
[Confirm: Yes / No]
'Yes.'
Ding!
[Command accepted.]
Ding!
[Origin Bloodline System integration initiated.]
Ding!
[Injecting hormones to induce a temporary coma.]
Nerion felt his eyelids grow heavy.
A cold current streamed from the cube on his chest and spread through his body.
Ding!
[Absorbing energy from the Will Core.]
Ding!
[Integration has begun.]
His mind faded into darkness. Mia, seeing how still he had become, assumed he had simply fallen asleep and let him rest.
...
[Integration progress: 5%]
...
[Integration progress: 15%]
...
[Integration progress: 45%]
...
[Integration progress: 80%]
...
[Integration progress: 99%]
...
Ding!
[Integration of the Origin Bloodline System complete.]
Ding!
[Heir regaining consciousness.]
Ding!
[Bones have begun producing Origin Blood.]
Ding!
[Repairing bodily defects: poor vision, poor hearing, bone fragility, hormonal imbalance, and complete paralysis.]
Ding!
[System Name: Origin Bloodline System]
[Status: Active]
[Bloodline Holder: Nerion Valdegar (Noah)]
[Origin Blood Purity: 40% (Upgradeable)]
Ding!
[Please open the Heir Status Window to track your progress.]